We Want It All

Add this story to the annals of consumers who want everything and want it now: according to the L.A. Times, customers are “irate” that the markdowns at Circuit City’s liquidation sale, which started last weekend, are too small. This is a completely fascinating reaction: I can understand being disappointed that the discounts aren’t bigger, but angry? Why would you think that you have a right to a lower price than a company’s willing to offer?

To be fair, some of the anger seems motivated by Circuit City’s ads, which promised some thirty per cent discounts, when at the moment most items are only marked down ten per cent. But most of the hostility seems driven by a much simpler fact: customers think that since Circuit City is going out of business, it should be giving its stuff away. The subhed on the Times’ story should have read: “Customers angry at not being allowed to loot Circuit City stores.”